Mano Mannoochahr Chief AI and Data Officer Ford Motor

Lilian Weng OpenAI

JOB FROM: CHIEF DATA, ANALYTICS AND AI OFFICER, VERIZON

JOB TO: CHIEF AI AND DATA OFFICER, FORD MOTOR

Having spent more than 20 years in his early career at companies like John Deere and GE, Mano is now returning to the heart of American manufacturing to help power the future of mobility.

COMPANY FROM: THINKING MACHINES

COMPANY TO: OPENAI

OpenAI confirmed to AI Magazine that Lilian Weng has returned to OpenAI to lead a top-level team focused on accelerating its internal research. She left the firm in 2024 to co-found Thinking Machines and is now returning to support cross-research work on recursive self-improvement.

16 September 2026